The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-12-07

High up among the Tuscan mountains.
not far from the borders of Lombardy is
a tiny hamlet called Piatico. 1t has \
church, and the few strangers who visit
the quiet little nook and enter the humble
sanctuary wonder at the handsome lace
decorating the Madonna's blue silk petti-
coat All the rest of the ornamentation
is so tawdry and poor that the delicate
fabric looks strangely out of place. How
came 1t therei is question the old
woman who unlocks the door is proud
to answer.
Amy and had put up for the hottest
summer weeks at the barn-like old post
m lnn at riatlco Often during our walks
through the chestnut woods, or up the
steep paths of the mountain-side. we met
tail, slim girl of eighteen, with strik-
lngly beautiful dark eyes, which haunted
US by reason of their extreme sadness.
She wore skimp gown of homespun, its
original color a matter of conjecture
onlyi her well-modeled feet were bare.
and she was usually in charge of seven
sheep and one little lame black lamb.
Sometimes we saw her under tree knit.
ting an lnterminable blue stocking-for
other feet than her own, evidently
while the sheep grazed. Or. in the omen
heid, In the pouring rain, this ghost like
girl would sit on the soaking ground
! huddled under an old green umbrella
this TO restrain neighbor's COW, getting
her supper of ass, from invading an
adjacent cabbage patch. The girl always
gave us a gracious "Good-dayn as she
passed, and seem pleased when Amy
smiled at her in return.
who is she2n we inquired of the mis-
tress of our inn.
You mean the girl who drives the
sheep with Il lame black lamb among
themf answered our hostess. THAT IS
Croclfssa, poor girl, the conyict's daugh-
Ter Hers is hard lot among little
community where none lie on roses
assure you. Her father, Sandor. has a
bad history, and the shadow of it darkens
the girls life. 80
"Oh tell it," cried Amy, dropping
down upon stool beside the comfort
able-looking old dame.
ut is soon told, signora, the story of
most sins is short; it is the misery of
them that drags on so wearily. When
Sandro was young, he killed man in a
passion of jealousy-a woman at the bot
tom of the affair, of course-stabbed him
from behind in the dark, and then threw
him down into the Lima to drown if the
wound was not deep enough to give him
ms death. They were a year or more
fastening the murder opon Sandro. but
he confessed it at last over a olasss too
much OF Chianti. He was sentenced for
twenty years to prison and hard labor.
When ms time was out, strangely enough.
ne chose to come back here to Plat co
and, stranger still, he found a woman
foolish enough to marry him, knowing
all about his crime. This poor weak thine
died when Crocifissa was born, and the
child's life has been so wretched. il
seems apity she did not die too.n
Are they so very poor9n
"Aliserably; and because of the
fathers disgrace everybody shuns the
daughter. Cruel, isn't it? But that is
the way of the world. / should make
one exception when say everyone turns
the cold shoulder upon ner. Perhaps
the saddest part of Crocifssa's history is
that she has a lover whom she can scarcely
ever hope to marry
rs he so poor, too?"
''His name is Reno, very good fel
low, but no luck. lie makes a little
money with his donkey, carrying fruit
and vegetables to the hotel at Abetone.
but he has blind old mother to helm,
and he can save nothing. Crocifissa
earns a few francs spinning and
knitting stockings, aud the profits from
the sheep put a scanty supply of bread
in the mouths of the convict and his
daughter, and keep crazy roof over
their heads. Crocihssa can make beauti-
ful lace, but she hurts her eyes at it, and
a doctor told her she would go blind if
she made any more"
'She has such lovely eyes I' said ANY.
enthusiastically.
Yes; with a bit of happiness to
brighten her she would be the prettiest
girl in these parts, As it is, her good
looks are little use, poor thiug!n
Cant Reno hit upon more paving
business than donkey -drivirgt" | ask.
'He wishes to go down to the Marem-
ma, where he would get good wages and
be able to put by little, but Crocifissa
will not hear of it, She is right |
think, for Reno is not strong, and the
marsh fever would be sure to carry him
ols TcN people nave DeeIl klnu 10 the
girl, and no dog ever loved his master as
Crocitissa loves RemO."
Poor CIR! what pity they cannot
make each other happyp
If they had little capital, two or
three hundred frances, TO hire and fur
nish Il room, they could manage to live:
but hundred franc pieces do not fall
from the clouds.
Life at Paris being dull and bare of
we felt much interested in
Crociissa's story, and cultivated her ac-
quaintance upon every OCCASION She
gave us flowers and berries gathered in
pretty little baskets improvised by her
self from chestnut leaves, and with her
ayes bent shyly on her knitting, talked I
10 us of her simple, uneVentful life. /
When Reno, her lover, was under dis
1ussion, which was frequently the case,
Crocitissa's large eyes glowed with a .
soft, happy light, and she became beau
'ifuE But the brightness vanished
quickly at memory Of the sordid misery